Tropical Cyclone Harold dropped heavy rain over Guadalcanal and San Cristobal on Thursday night.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Cyclone Harold was located at latitude 10.8°S and longitude 162.1°E which put it about 10 miles (15 km) east of Hauraha, Solomon Islands.  Harold was moving toward the east-southeast at 25 m.p.h. (40 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 995 mb.

The center of Tropical Cyclone Harold passed near Guadalcanal and San Cristobal on Thursday night.  The circulation around Harold was gradually becoming more organized.  Multiple bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Tropical Cyclone Harold.  Storms near the center of circulation were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the tropical cyclone.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (150 km) from the center.

Tropical Cyclone Harold will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next several days.  Harold will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 30°C.  It will move under the southwestern portion of an upper level ridge over the South Pacific Ocean.  The ridge will produce northwesterly winds which will blow toward the top of Tropical Cyclone Harold.  Those winds will create some vertical wind shear, but the shear will not be strong enough to prevent intensification.  Tropical Storm Harold will continue to intensify and it will strengthen to the equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon.

The upper level ridge will steer Tropical Cyclone Harold toward the southeast.  On its anticipated track Harold will move away from the Solomon Islands on Friday and the weather should improve there.  Tropical Cyclone Harold could approach Vanuatu in 36 hours  and it could be he equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon at that time.